Shell dispenser



Jan. 15, 1957 G. WELCH SHELL DISPENSER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. na 23% 6 Grant Welsh F l'g 2 Filed Nov. 13, 1953 if H Jan. 15, 1957 G. WELCH SHELL DISPENSER Filed Nov. 15, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3

50 I BY If Jan. 15, 1957 G, W'ELCH 2,777,604

SHELL DISPENSER Filed Nov. 15. 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 6 Granf We/ch 50 INVENTOR.

United rates This invention relates to a device especially adapted for use in shooting galleries and the like for metering and dispensing cartridges and shells.

Small arms as are used in shooting galleries include a magazine in which a number of shells or cartridges are placed so that several shots may be made before it is necessary to recharge the rifle or the like with additional ammunition. It is therefore particularly advantageous to have an apparatus for quickly metering a predetermined number of shells so that the rifles may be quickly provided with fresh ammunition. It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide an apparatus in which a predetermined number of shells may be metered and stored for subsequent utilization in the recharging of repeating rifles and the like.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in the provision of a shell dispenser that is strong and durable, simple in construction and manufacture, capable of being easily and conveniently operated, yet which is entirely safe and efficient in operation.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this shell dispenser, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the shell dispenser comprising the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the shell dispenser;

Figure 3 is another side elevational view looking in a plane at right angles to the view as taken in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the shell dispenser;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view as taken along theplane of line 55 in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a plan View of the disk comprising one of the elements of the shell dispenser;

Figure 7 is a sectional detail view as taken along the plane of line 77 in Figure 1; and

Figure 8 is a sectional detail view as taken along the plane of line 8-8 in Figure 4 illustrating the meansfor locking the disk and hence the casing in intermittent alignment with the bottom plate.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral 10 generally designates the shell dispenser comprising the present invention which includes a base plate 12 which may be of rectangular configuration and through which extends a shaft 14 which is threaded at each of its ends. Secured on the shaft 14 is a ratchet wheel 16 and a nut 18 is provided for holding the lower end of the shaft 14 in position. A collar 20 is medially formed on the shaft 14 and above the collar, there is positioned a disk 22. Another nut or fastener 24 is threadedly secured on the shaft 14 above the disk 22 holding the disk 22 lockingly secured on the shaft 14. Secured to the disk 22 by means of bolts 26 or other suitable fasteners is a fiber casing 28 provided with a plurality of annularly spaced atent ice chambers 30 therein which are adapted to align with apertures 32 formed in the disk 22. In communication with the chambers 30 are delivery tubes 34 which may be threadedly secured into the casing 28. The casing 28 is provided with a peripherally extending slot 36 which communicates with the chambers 30.

The base plate 12, as can be seen in Figures 1 and 7, is provided with a discharge opening 38 therein and upon rotation of the casing 28 and disk 22, the apertures 32 and chambers 30 will be successively aligned with the opening 38. Means are provided for rotating the shaft 14 so as to rotate the casing 28 and disk 22. These means include an operating lever 40 which is pivotally mounted by means of a bolt 42 or other suitable fastener attached to the base plate 12. The lever 40 has pivotally mounted thereon a pawl 44 which is resiliently pressed by means of spring 46 into engagement with the teeth on the ratchet Wheel 16. There is also pivotally carried by the lever 40 and secured to the lever 4!) a bifurcated link 48 having cam surfaces 50 on the bifurcated portion thereof.

Extending between the bifurcated portions of the link 48 is a pin 52 having a collar 54 mounted thereon, the collar being received in a housing 56 attached by bolts 58 or other suitable fasteners to the plate 12. A hole 69 is formed in the plate 12 and is adapted to successively align with one of the recesses 62 formed in the disk 22. A coil spring 64 concentrically positioned about the pin 52 resiiently yieldingly terminally engages the collar 56 and the housing 56 to continuously urge the pin 52 into one of the recesses 62. However, when the lever 40 is actuated, the birfurcated link 48 will be driven from the position as is shown in dotted lines to the position illustrated by the solid lines in Figure 8 with the cam surfaces 50 of the bifurcated portion engaging a member 66 secured to the pin 52 and held in place by means of a nut 68 or other suitable means. Hence, upon actuation of the lever 44 the casing 28 will be rotated from a position where one chamber 30 is in alignment with the opening 33 to a position where the next successive chamber is aligned with the opening 38. Further, the casing 28 Will be locked against rotation except upon actuation of the lever 40 by means of the pin 52.

Additional means are also provided for preventing a shell, such as indicated by reference numeral 76, from falling through the opening 38. This means includes a pair of standards 72 and 74 which are mounted on the base plate 12. One end of a spring 76 is secured to the standard 74 while the other end of the spring 76 is secured to an arm 78 having a detent portion 843 thereon adapted to extend inwardly through the slot 36 and into a chamber 30. The arm 78 has a plate 82 attached thereto which is curvilinear in shape and which is adapted to prevent further movement inwardlyof the detent portion 80 of the arm 78 thereby holding the detent arm 73 in correct position to prevent a shell '70 from falling through the tube 34 to pass out of the opening 38 unless the arm 78 were removed from the slot 36.

In operation, it is merely necessary to fill the respective tubes 34 with any determined amount of ammunition. Then, upon successive rotation of the casing 28, the respective chambers 30 in the casing will become filled with a single round of ammunition. As each successive filled chamber passes the opening 38, a shell will be metered. Hence, upon a given number of actuations of the lever 40, a given number of shells will be discharged through the opening 38.

Since from the foregoing, the construction and advantages of this shell dispenser are readily apparent, further description is believed to be unnecessary.

However, since numerous modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of 3 the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the invention to the precise embodiment shown and described, but all, suitable modifications and equivalents may be readily resorted to which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A shell dispenser comprising a base plate, a shaft rotatably mounted in said base plate, a disk mounted on said shaft, a casing secured to said disk, a plurality of apertures in said disk, a plurality of cartridge receiving chambers in said casing in alignment with said apertures, a delivery opening in said base plate, and operating means secured to said shaft for rotating said disk so that said apertures and hence said chambers are successively aligned with said opening, and locking means for resiliently lockingly holding said disk with said apertures in alignment with said opening, said locking means including a bifurcated link pivotally attached to a lever having cam surfaces on the bifurcated portions thereof, a housing secured to said base plate, a hole through said base plate, a plurality of recesses in said disk, a pin having a collar thereon in said housing, resilient means engaging said collar urging said pin through said hole and into one of said recesses, a member on said pin, the cam surfaces on said bifurcated portions engaging said memer to withdraw said pin from said one of said recesses upon actuation of said lever.

2. A shell dispenser comprising a base plate, a shaft rotatab'ly mounted in said base plate, a disk mounted on said shaft, a casing secured to said disk, a plurality of apertures in said disk, a plurality of cartridge receiving chambers in said casing in alignment with said apertures, a delivery opening in said base plate, and operating means secured to said shaft for rotating said disk so that said apertures and hence said chambers are successively aligned with said opening, said operating means including a ratchet wheel on said shaft, a lever having a pawl adapted to engage said ratchet wheel attached thereto, said lever being pivotally secured to said base plate, and

a locking means for resiliently lockingly holding said disk with said apertures in alignment with said opening, said locking means including a bifurcated link pivotally atapertures and hence saidv chambers are successively aligned with said opening, said operating meansincluding a ratchet wheel on said shaft, a lever having a pawl adapted to engage said ratchet wheel attached thereto, said lever being pivotally secured to said base plate, and

locking means for resiliently lockingly holding said disk with said apertures in alignment with said opening, said locking means including a bifurcated link pivotally attached to said lever having cam surfaces on the bifurcated portions thereof, a housing secured to said base plate, a hole through said base plate, a plurality of re portions engaging said member to withdraw said pin from said one of said recesses upon actuation of said lever, and metering means carried by said base plate for selectively preventing a cartridge from passing through said aperture and said opening when a chamber is in alignment with said opening.

4. A shell dispenser comprising a base plate, a shaft rotatably mounted in said base plate, a disk mounted on I said shaft, a casing secured to said disk, a plurality 'of tached to a lever having cam surfaces on the bifurcated portions thereof, a housing secured to said base plate, a hole through said base plate, a plurality of recesses in said disk, a pin having a collar thereon in said housing, resilient means engaging said collar urging'said pin through said hole and into one of said recesses, a member on said pin, the cam surfaces on said bifurcated portions engaging said member to withdraw said pin from said one of said recesses upon actuation of said lever.

i 3. A- shell dispenser comprising a base plate, ashaft rotatably mounted in said base plate, a disk mounted on said shaft, a casing secured to said disk, a plurality of apertures in said disk, a plurality of cartridge receiving chambers in said casing in alignment with said apertures, 21 delivery opening in said base plate, and operating means secured to said shaft for rotating said disk so that said apertures in said disk, a plurality of cartridge receiving chambers in said casing in alignment with said apertures, a delivery opening in said base plate, and operating means secured to said shaft for rotating said disk so thatsaid apertures and hence said chambers are successively aligned with said opening, said operating means including a ratchet wheel on said shaft, a lever having a pawl adapted to engage said ratchet wheel attached thereto, said lever being pivotally secured to said base plate, and

, locking means for resiliently lockin gly holding said disk with said apertures in alignment with said opening, said locking means including a bifurcated link pivotally attached to said lever having cam surfaces on the bifurcated portions thereof, a housing secured to said base plate, a holethrough said base plate, a plurality of recesses, in said disk, a pin having a collar thereon in said housing, resilient means engaging said collar urging said pinthrough said .hole and into one of said recesses, a

member on said pin, the cam surfaces on said bifurcated portions engaging said member to withdraw said pin from said vone of said recesses upon actuation of said lever, and metering means carried by said base plate for selectively preventing a cartridge from passing through said aperture and said opening when a chamber is in alignment with said opening, said means comprising a spring pressed detent, said casing'having a peripheral slot therein intersecting said chambers, said detent beingresiliently urged into said slot and into the chamber in alignment with said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,252,121 Jacobs Jan. '1, 1918 2,621,096

Broyles Dec. 9, 1952 

